Scientific Publications

Scientific Publications

Shamini has conducted numerous clinical trials and basic science research in the areas of integrative medicine and psychoneuroimmunology. A complete list of her publications can be found here through thisGoogle Scholar link. Below are a few highlighted scientific publications (Click on the title of the article to access the PDF).

This landmark study was the first randomized controlled trial to compare a mindfulness meditation intervention with an active relaxation intervention, and examine cognitive mechanisms of action that might separate mindfulness meditation from relaxation processes. Dr. Jain and her colleagues found that mindfulness was unique from relaxation in its ability to reduce ruminative and distractive thinking, and that these reductions in rumination drove decreases in distress for those who were being trained in mindfulness meditation.

In this paper, we discuss Vedic, Jain and Tibetan Buddhist models of consciousness and how these traditions' philosophical and medical systems related to current Western concepts in health and healing.

This randomized controlled study with fatigued breast cancer survivors examined the effects of hands-on-healing for reducing fatigue and improving quality of life and physiological function, as compared to a mock healing group and a wait-list control group. Placebo variables were carefully measured and examined as predictors of response. The study found that the actual healing group showed clinically and statistically significant reductions in fatigue, as well as improvements in cortisol variability. Placebo factors predicted changes in quality of life, but not changes in cortisol variability.

This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of Healing Touch combined with Guided Imagery compared to treatment as usual in active duty military at a military base. Results showed statistically and clinically significant decreases in PTSD, depression, and cynicism for the treatment group compared to the control group.

This study examined the effects of perceptions of daily events as either stressful (hassles) or positive (uplifts) on immune and blood markers in otherwise healthy individuals. Results from the study indicated that increased perceptions of “hassles” are associated with increases in inflammation and hypercoagulabilty, and independently, increased perception of life events as “uplifts” are associated with decreased hypercoagulability.